Potential of filamentous fungi

Filamentous fungi, in particular the basidiomycetes of wood white rot, are a strategic group for the production of odorant molecules of industrial interest. These fungi, which grow on dead wood, have the ability to completely degrade lignin, a polymer of aromatic compounds derived from cinnamic acid. When cultivated in a simple medium or in the presence of a specific precursor, they are able to synthesize (de novo or by bioconversion) a broad spectrum of aromas very similar to those found in plants. This property is illustrated here for compounds with aromatic structures belonging to the benzoate, cinnamate, phenylacetate and butanone groups (tables 2 , 3 and 4 ). The genera Agaricus, Bjerkandera, Ischnoderma, Pycnoporus,...